The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has intensified a global manhunt for a former Olympic snowboarder from Canada, who is now accused of running a violent, multi-billion dollar drug empire and ordering the murder of witnesses.
From Olympic Hopeful to International Fugitive
Ryan Wedding, a 43-year-old who represented Canada in snowboarding at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, has become one of the world's most wanted men. Authorities allege he abandoned his athletic career to lead a cocaine-smuggling organization so vast that investigators compare it to the operations of the late Pablo Escobar.
Wedding, who also goes by the aliases "El Jefe," "Giant," and "Public Enemy," has been evading capture since October 2024. His notoriety skyrocketed in March when he was placed on the prestigious FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. This week, the reward for information leading to his arrest was significantly increased from $10 million to $15 million.
A Trail of Violence and Billions in Cocaine
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced a series of serious charges against Wedding on Wednesday. The newly unsealed indictment includes counts of witness tampering, intimidation, murder, money laundering, and drug trafficking.
One of the most shocking allegations is that Wedding located a key FBI witness in Colombia. That witness, Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, 42, was shot and killed in a Medellín restaurant in January before he could testify. During a press conference in Washington, Bondi sent a direct message to the fugitive: "We are coming for you. We will find you. And you will be held accountable for your crimes." She described his network as "one of the most prolific and violent drug-trafficking organisations" globally.
Authorities state that Wedding's organization was responsible for moving hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia into Canada annually. More staggering is the estimate that his group imported approximately 60 metric tonnes of cocaine each year into Los Angeles via semi-trucks from Mexico. Bondi illustrated this volume by comparing it to the weight of 40 cars.
International Takedown and Cartel Connections
The investigation has led to an "international takedown" with multiple arrests. Officials confirmed the arrest of Ontario lawyer Deepak Paradkar, who is accused of advising Wedding to kill the informant, Acebedo-Garcia.
Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, stated that Paradkar was among a dozen suspects detained. Canadian police have also arrested Atna Onha from Montreal, who faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder in the same case.
FBI Director Kash Patel left no room for doubt about the scale of Wedding's alleged crimes, stating, "Make no mistake about it: Ryan Wedding is a modern-day iteration of Pablo Escobar and El Chapo Guzmán." Akil Davis, assistant director of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, added that Wedding is being protected by the powerful Sinaloa Cartel and corrupt officials within Mexico.
Wedding's descent into crime began after his sporting career. Though he was an "Olympic hopeful" and competed until around 2010, his legal troubles started in the mid-2000s. He was convicted of drug trafficking in 2010 and sentenced to four years in prison. He now faces eight felony charges, including three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, cementing his status as a top-tier international fugitive.
